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Friday, March 9, 2012

Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?

Let's see if I can remember how to do this.

I've been busy. Really, really busy. There's no need for explanations or excuses. It's my own fault; I take on too much.

So, I'm getting emails like crazy that the link to my easy-cut hexagon printout isn't working. I moved it to Google Docs last year, and the links seem to be working for me (even when I'm not logged on to Google), so I'm not sure what the problem is. If you have ever previously downloaded any of my PDF's from the downloads page above, please clear your browser cache, reload the page, and try again.

Here's the link to the ONE INCH EASY-CUT HEXAGONS. If you are looking for it and it still won't download, please let me know in the comments below. If you have emailed me requesting permission to use the easy-cut sheet in a class you are teaching, please go ahead and use it. If you haven't asked me if you can distribute and make copies, please don't unless you ask first.

While I'm here, I suppose a little update would be appropriate. This year, in addition to my freelance design job and teaching sewing classes (among other obligations), I'm training to become a Texas Master Gardener and I am having an absolute blast!

Gardening isn't a new hobby for me, but this is first time I've received any formal training. The Master Gardener program in my county is the largest and most active in Texas. I've been studying botany, landscaping, fruit and nut production, turf and trees, irrigation and rainwater harvesting, composting, vegetable gardening, entomology, diagnosis and management of plant diseases, plant propagation, flowers and shrubs, and so on and so on. I've added words like xylem, evapotranspiration, and peduncle to my working vocabulary and I now know the difference between a dicot and a monocot.

The Master Gardener program takes a year to complete. If all goes as planned, I'll graduate in January and become a state-certified Master Gardener. As we move into spring, things are really getting busy! I'm assisting in public school gardens, community gardens, hospital gardens, historic landmark gardens, and women's shelters gardens. I'm working in our amazing Botanic Garden, learning to assist the public with home horticulture when they call the County Extension Office, and this weekend, I'll be working in a conservatory full of butterflies from around the world. I'll be the volunteer at station #1 making sure no one opens the emergency exit, reminding people not to touch the butterflies, and answering questions about the butterflies and plants in the conservatory.

If you made it through all that gardening talk, I've done a bit of sewing lately too. I think I've made four rag quilts in the last couple of months. Everyone is having babies!

Next week is spring break and I. Can't. Wait. I'm hoping to make some serious progress in the basement, which we are in the process of converting into a sewing/art/craft studio. There's some sewing I'd like to get done and I just started converting my daughter's unfinished Creative Memories baby book into a Project Life album. And of course, working outside! I've got veggies to set out in the garden and perennials to plant. I'm going to need a week off after spring break.

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comments:

**smile** I've been wanting to try hexies but have yet to give it a shot. So I read through all your posts on it and printed out a template...will see how many I get done before I give up. lol The ladies in my quilt guild swear they are fun....we will see! lol

I've downloaded the hexies just fine, printed them and am currently using them in my latest project! Thank you so much for the templates!!Good luck with the gardening class, hope you learn lots of new things =D

Hi Melanie! So nice to see you again! I've been MIA too! I love your rag quilts! Do you have a site that offers how to make one of these? I have always wanted to but haven't!! I'm also FINALLY into putting together my hexies! Don't know where to let you know! I'll blog about it later today! Anyway, so nice to see you and read about what you have been up to! Take care!

Glad to see you are back. I get all my quilting vicariously right now through other quilters an I check in a lot. I'm actually making time for the garden (that just feeds the soul) and I'd like to hear more about it as you progress in the program and with your personal garden. PS. I'm going to see the butterflies on Sat....can't wait!

hi! i'm glad to see you are 'just' busy and nothing more serious has happened. i'm still progressing with the hexies, getting going again as it's very much a spring / summer carry-along for me. Best wishes for your gardening course, you sound so happy!

Congrats on your MG certification. I find quilters are often gardenters. I have two small groups in Oklahoma that combine quilting and gardening. I went through the MG program in Oklahoma many years ago!!

Hey Melanie! Great to hear from you! I'm so happy you are doing the MG program. You sound so passionate about it and so happy! Hope you post a little more often because I was worried about you.Take care,Ginger in Abilene

Every time I check on your blog and see this title I crack up! I know how life can get in the way of blogging, and it's not like kids and gardens can wait! Glad to hear that you are enjoying your formal training in the garden, and still have time for some stitching. The quilts are adorable and so snugly looking. I look forward to the next update when you come up for blog-air :)